Chapter 7
The next several days were a whirlwind. Giles helped Buffy start getting things in order. The house was put up for sale. The wills were read. Buffy, of course, was left with everything her parents owned. It was a hard time for Buffy, but Giles helped keep her balanced. When things got to be too much, he held her and said soothing things to her.
The night before they were going to start packing the items in the house and putting them in storage, Giles invited Xander, Willow, Oz, Cordy and Wesley over for dinner. Buffy was nervous about seeing her friends. Giles assured her that everything would be fine.
When the doorbell rang, Buffy froze. She looked ready to bolt. Giles walked up to her and squeezed her hand and gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead before going to answer the door.
The group stood on the other side of the door and looked as nervous as Buffy did.
"Hello, come in," Giles told the group.
They walked in quietly. It was Willow who first walked up to her. "Hi Buff," she said and hugged her.
Buffy hugged her back with tears in her eyes, "Hey Will."
After that, the rest of them hugged Buffy and they started to break the ice. Dinner went well. After dinner, the younger people went into the living room to talk and listen to music. Giles looked on and smiled and went into the kitchen to clean up. Wesley followed him.
"How is she doing, really Rupert?" he asked. "Will she ever be as she was?"
"She's still struggling," he said. "But I see improvement every day."
"And how about you? How are you holding up? Have you told her how you feel about her?"
Giles looked at him surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Oh please Rupert. It was always apparent but now it's obvious to even the casual observer. You're in love with her."
"Yes I am," he said. "And no I haven't told her and I don't plan to."
"Why the bloody hell not?" Wesley asked. "She obviously cares about you as well."
Giles laughed, "Wesley, Buffy looks to me as her surrogate parent and nothing more. And if that is what she wants then I will act in that capacity."
"Bullocks," Wesley said. "There's more to it and you know it."
Giles ran his hand through his hair, "And what if there isn't?"
"You won't find out unless you talk to her," he said. "You never know Rupert, it may be the one thing that brings the Buffy we all remember back."
"Wesley, how can I put this on her right now? She lost her parents and she lost Angel." He will scrub the pan furiously.
"What she and Angel had ended long ago Rupert. I saw the way she looked at you, the way you looked at each other. I never stood a chance as her Watcher. She had given herself completely to you."
He turned around and looked at him, "That isn't true."
"Yes. Yes it is Rupert. Is it really so hard to believe? How many Watchers and Slayers became lovers over the years?" He continued. "Countless."
"It's different with Buffy," Giles said.
"No it's not. Why are you kidding yourself? Are you afraid that she may actually love you back?" Wesley challenged him.
"Maybe I am," he admitted.
"Rup-- Giles," he said softly. "Talk to her."
"Alright I will," Giles said. "Tonight."
The next several days were a whirlwind. Giles helped Buffy start getting things in order. The house was put up for sale. The wills were read. Buffy, of course, was left with everything her parents owned. It was a hard time for Buffy, but Giles helped keep her balanced. When things got to be too much, he held her and said soothing things to her.
The night before they were going to start packing the items in the house and putting them in storage, Giles invited Xander, Willow, Oz, Cordy and Wesley over for dinner. Buffy was nervous about seeing her friends. Giles assured her that everything would be fine.
When the doorbell rang, Buffy froze. She looked ready to bolt. Giles walked up to her and squeezed her hand and gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead before going to answer the door.
The group stood on the other side of the door and looked as nervous as Buffy did.
"Hello, come in," Giles told the group.
They walked in quietly. It was Willow who first walked up to her. "Hi Buff," she said and hugged her.
Buffy hugged her back with tears in her eyes, "Hey Will."
After that, the rest of them hugged Buffy and they started to break the ice. Dinner went well. After dinner, the younger people went into the living room to talk and listen to music. Giles looked on and smiled and went into the kitchen to clean up. Wesley followed him.
"How is she doing, really Rupert?" he asked. "Will she ever be as she was?"
"She's still struggling," he said. "But I see improvement every day."
"And how about you? How are you holding up? Have you told her how you feel about her?"
Giles looked at him surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Oh please Rupert. It was always apparent but now it's obvious to even the casual observer. You're in love with her."
"Yes I am," he said. "And no I haven't told her and I don't plan to."
"Why the bloody hell not?" Wesley asked. "She obviously cares about you as well."
Giles laughed, "Wesley, Buffy looks to me as her surrogate parent and nothing more. And if that is what she wants then I will act in that capacity."
"Bullocks," Wesley said. "There's more to it and you know it."
Giles ran his hand through his hair, "And what if there isn't?"
"You won't find out unless you talk to her," he said. "You never know Rupert, it may be the one thing that brings the Buffy we all remember back."
"Wesley, how can I put this on her right now? She lost her parents and she lost Angel." He will scrub the pan furiously.
"What she and Angel had ended long ago Rupert. I saw the way she looked at you, the way you looked at each other. I never stood a chance as her Watcher. She had given herself completely to you."
He turned around and looked at him, "That isn't true."
"Yes. Yes it is Rupert. Is it really so hard to believe? How many Watchers and Slayers became lovers over the years?" He continued. "Countless."
"It's different with Buffy," Giles said.
"No it's not. Why are you kidding yourself? Are you afraid that she may actually love you back?" Wesley challenged him.
"Maybe I am," he admitted.
"Rup-- Giles," he said softly. "Talk to her."
"Alright I will," Giles said. "Tonight."